A Juneteenth Celebration
ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Nelson T. Gant Foundation will be celebrating Juneteenth this weekend by holding a variety of recognitions, contests and fun.
Gant Foundation President Todd Ware explained how Nelson Gant was an emancipated slave, whose education and work ethic led him toward his post Civil War success. And how the national holiday is celebrated alongside Gant’s birthday.
“It’s going to be based on religious, religion and churches,” Ware said. “And we just do a big barbecue and a fish fry. Fish fry probably and a rib barbecue and we have all the trimmings and stuff to go with it and ice cold drinks as well. Not only with our Juneteenth, we’re also doing a fundraiser with Donald’s Donuts, one of the best donuts in America. And Donald’s Donuts is having a Juneteenth donut. If you go to Donald’s Donut’s this week, you can buy it and the proceeds come to the Nelson T. Gant Foundation.”
The fundraiser centers around selling dinners at the event and Gant Foundation Treasurer Patsy McDonald talked about the youth activities that will be available, as well as the Community Pillar Award and a new event that will help raise funds for the NAACP’s Feed the Street Program.
“This is our second year doing this,” McDonald said. “So this year we are going to have the guys and we’re going to have some music playing and then they’ll put money in the top hat. And the girls are going to have money in the bonnet. And we want to see who can raise the most money. We’re going to have a DJ, who’s going to like have some good music. We’re going to have some gospel music. Different choirs are coming in, different people playing different instruments. It’s just going to be a really, really fun time.”
The Gant Foundation’s Juneteenth festivities will take place between 3 and 8 p.m. this Saturday, at 1845 West Main Street in Zanesville. McDonald said all are welcome, the food is good and the admission is free.
